The optimal launch angle is a crucial element in the golf swing. You find it at the exact moment you hit the ball, and it will determine the type of impact and the result you want to achieve. Getting the optimal launch angle requires focus, a lot of practice and perseverance to adapt it to your swing.

It is not easy to explain the optimal launch angle of a golf shot. However, in a few words, and in a simple way, you can say that it is the lesser or greater verticality with which the face of the club impacts the ball. It is good to know that there are three types of clubface angle of attack. They are:

• The positive angle of attack.
• The horizontal angle of attack.
• The negative angle of attack.

There is an unavoidable fact: depending on the club you use and from a movement carried out correctly, the swing will always have a negative angle of attack (descending), which will increase; the shorter the club, the more.

For example, the angle of attack with wedges will always be negative. Being shorter clubs, the swing plane is more vertical concerning the ground. Therefore, the sequence shows us that the impact is ball and floor when you swing with a wedge. Meanwhile, the sequence will be slightly ascending with a driver due to the golf swing’s amplitude and the ball’s location in front of you in the stance.

If you translate this in numbers, you will find that with a wedge, the angle of attack is -5°, with a 6 or 7 iron -4°, with a 3 iron -3° and with a driver, it can reach +5°. In other words, the arc of the swing and the ball’s position define (along with the length of the club) the optimal angle of attack.

The importance of the plane in the swing

Your swing plane will be decisive in achieving an optimal launch angle. A widespread mistake among amateurs is to “enter” the club from the inside in the takeaway, a gesture that leads to a flat swing out of the plane. This modifies the optimal launch angle of any golfer. Now, if the takeaway of the club is correct with a flat swing, you will achieve more verticality at the moment of hitting the ball. The impact will apply more compression with this, regardless of the club used.

A flat golf swing and the ball advanced in the stance can generate foul shots without control. Therefore, it is always essential that the ball is located correctly in the stance. You will indeed change the ball’s location depending on each shot. The secret is to know in advance what the result you can obtain may be.

Golfers who are just beginning to play golf cannot attack the ball properly. Good instructors suggest changing the ball’s position in the stance based on each player’s ability. This leads them to naturally put the ball further back in the stance. As their game evolves, any golfer manages to improve their swing plane, leading them to hit better shots. But that takes time, so it takes a lot of practice and discipline to achieve.

Choosing the right clubs

Achieving the optimal launch angle leads you to make a lot of decisions. Among those decisions is whether to use clubs with the proper loft, especially the driver and woods. Also, it leads golf players to choose the wedges and their rebound angle appropriately. This is to say that along with the perfection of a good swing, you must work your evolution with the best possible configuration of your golf clubs. To achieve all this, the help of our instructor is critical.

As an introduction, you will see some parameters that must be considered when analyzing the swing. With this information and the advice of your golf teacher, you will be able to advance in the configuration of our game and make a suitable fitting. And so, back to the main topic of our analysis in this article, which has to do with the optimal launch angle.

Parameters to take into account:

• Swing speed: clubface speed is measured and expressed in miles per hour (MPH).
• Optimal launch angle: it is measured in degrees.
• Ball speed: measured in miles per hour.
• Revolutions per minute of the ball: is the spin you apply as you hit the ball. It is essential to point out that depending on each circumstance on the golf course, you will need different types of spin.
• Launch angle: this is the degree from the horizontal position at which the ball is sent off the face of the club.

Conclusion

The optimal launch angle is key to achieving better ball impact and results. Even though it might appear to be confusing at first glance, this process explained in a handy article of fewer than 1000 words is an excellent introduction to achieving this goal. Make no mistake, constant practice and good advice from your golf instructor will surely help you enhance your technique and improve your game in much less time than you can imagine.